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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. clip — a video
  4. firm — a company
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bound — certain
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rash — hasty
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. firm — steady
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cold — an illness
  24. leaves — to go away

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