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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. season — in sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. clip — a video
  5. cap — a lid
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. vault — a safe
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — of the year
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cap — of ice
  21. craft — a skill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cabinet — ministers

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