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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. clip — a video
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — of ice
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cap — a lid
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cap — a hat
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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