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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. clip — a video
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spring — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. spring — the season
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cap — a hat
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — letters
  24. clip — for paper

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