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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cap — of ice
  6. clip — a video
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. clip — for paper
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — thin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — in football
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lean — to bend
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. kick — with a leg

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