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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bass — low music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. season — of the year
  17. cap — of ice
  18. clip — a video
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — magic
  24. season — to add flavour

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