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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: pass · leaves · land · firm · mug · saw · plane · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. land — to come down
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. land — ground
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mug — a face
  17. land — a country
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mug — a cup
  22. firm — steady
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. saw — the tool

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