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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. can — to be able to
  7. object — to protest
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. object — an aim
  14. scale — size or range
  15. band — a ring
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. clip — for paper
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. clip — a video
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a music group
  24. wind — moving air

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