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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cap — of ice
  3. toast — bread
  4. season — of the year
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. clip — to cut
  10. dip — to sink
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pound — a weight
  16. season — in sport
  17. clip — a video
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. date — the fruit
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cap — a hat
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. date — on the calendar

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