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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 120 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: cell · bass · pass · clip · cabinet · straw · mouse · chair

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bass — the fish
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pass — a permit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bass — low music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. straw — a straw man

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