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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. clip — a video
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. clip — to cut
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cap — a hat
  22. branch — a division
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bowl — to roll

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