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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. clip — to cut
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pound — a weight
  20. clip — a video
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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