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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. clip — for paper
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. scale — in music
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. object — to protest
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. object — an aim
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. clip — a video
  13. cue — a signal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cue — for pool
  18. object — a thing
  19. board — to get on
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a committee
  22. season — in sport
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cue — a hint

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