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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kid — child
  8. object — a thing
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. object — an aim
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — for digging
  22. object — to protest
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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