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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: pass · lie · clip · cabinet · march · jam · current · spring

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — happening now
  10. march — the month
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. clip — to cut
  14. march — music
  15. spring — of water
  16. pass — a permit
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — the season
  21. clip — a video
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — of water
  24. clip — for paper

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