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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — a video
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fall — to drop
  10. clip — for paper
  11. content — the amount
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — happy
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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