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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. net — in sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — to protest
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. net — after costs
  12. object — an aim
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. clip — a video
  16. object — a thing
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — for pool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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