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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.

Words on the sheet
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: can · chest · stand · leaves · pass · clip · mouse · mate

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stand — to bear
  9. clip — to cut
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mate — a partner
  23. clip — a video
  24. can — a tin

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