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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. vault — a safe
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cap — of ice
  15. suit — in cards
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cap — a lid
  19. suit — clothes
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. toast — bread
  24. cap — a hat

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