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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.

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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: tear · season · pound · clip · stand · saw · board · pass

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pass — a permit
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. board — to get on
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tear — to rip
  11. clip — a video
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. pound — a weight
  19. board — a committee
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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