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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ground — the earth
  3. clip — a video
  4. staff — a stick
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fall — the season
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — a gift
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cap — of ice
  11. present — there
  12. ground — crushed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. staff — employees
  18. present — the time now
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cap — a hat
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ground — a position

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