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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cap — a hat
  8. field — for sport
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — a subject
  17. clip — a video
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — all right
  21. cap — of ice
  22. can — a tin
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — to rest against

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