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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 116 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: lie · bass · saw · prune · clip · pass · pit · capital

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — low music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. clip — for paper
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. capital — money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bass — the fish
  24. prune — to trim

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