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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: present · pass · spring · jam · temple · object · club · clip

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. object — a thing
  3. spring — of water
  4. club — for golf
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spring — a coil
  7. present — the time now
  8. object — to protest
  9. clip — a video
  10. pass — a permit
  11. present — there
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. object — an aim
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spring — the season
  22. clip — to cut
  23. club — for dancing
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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