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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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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: rest · bark · temple · plane · bank · clip · safe · pass

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rest — what's left
  3. clip — a video
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pass — a permit
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rest — what's left
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. clip — for paper
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to spend time

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