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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
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 · date · clip · foot · bank · mine · file · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. file — a line of people
  17. foot — a measure
  18. object — a thing
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. object — to protest
  23. date — the fruit
  24. file — a document

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