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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: wound · patient · bowl · clip · pass · mouse · toast · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. clip — a video
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — a permit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. toast — bread
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. toast — the most admired

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