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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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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. cap — a hat
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — a measure
  10. present — there
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. clip — for paper
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — a lid
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. present — the time now

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