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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · fine · pass · root · mouse · plane · clip · bank

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fine — high quality
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — the cause
  13. bank — of a river
  14. root — of a word
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — the animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. clip — to cut

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com