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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: spell · plane · staff · clip · snap · bound · bear · pass

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. snap — to click
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — magic
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spell — letters
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bound — certain
  16. clip — a video
  17. spell — a short time
  18. staff — employees
  19. bound — obliged
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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