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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cap — of ice
  6. clip — a video
  7. last — finally
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. staff — employees
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. last — to go on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. clip — to cut
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. last — final
  24. wake — before a funeral

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