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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: bound · stem · bass · spring · clip · pass · bowl · bear

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spring — of water
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bound — certain
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spring — the season
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bowl — to roll

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