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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 turn the ________________ on?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. clip — to cut
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. deal — to handle
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — a lid
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. clip — for paper
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. degree — an amount

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