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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · pass · temple · craft · mark · cabinet · bound · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. clip — for paper
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — boats
  8. clip — a video
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — a trace
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — to pay attention

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