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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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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: pound · pass · wake · cap · sharp · clip · deal · branch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. clip — a video
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pound — a weight
  7. clip — to cut
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. clip — for paper
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cap — of ice
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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