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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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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: pass · bass · lie · key · cap · clip · present · stand

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. present — a gift
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — there
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — a permit
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bass — low music
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — in music
  24. present — the time now

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