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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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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: saw · capital · wind · straw · bass · pass · clip · temple

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bass — low music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. clip — a video
  13. bass — the fish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. capital — money
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wind — moving air
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. capital — a city

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