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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 124 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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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: object · capital · clip · present · straw · suit · pass · cell

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. clip — a video
  4. object — an aim
  5. present — there
  6. clip — to cut
  7. object — a thing
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — clothes
  11. object — to protest
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. capital — money
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. capital — a city

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