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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. clip — a video
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cap — of ice
  8. current — happening now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — to cut
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bulb — for light

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