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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pop — music
  4. clip — a video
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pop — soda
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bound — certain
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to click
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — tied together

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