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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. clip — for paper
  3. ground — the earth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cap — a lid
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. track — a path
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. track — a song
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — a permit
  19. clip — a video
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ground — a position
  22. clip — to cut
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cap — a hat

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