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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: suit · band · chip · land · temple · clip · mouse · pass

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. suit — in cards
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. clip — a video
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. land — a country
  11. suit — clothes
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. band — a music group
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — a permit
  16. clip — to cut
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pass — to succeed

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