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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cap — a hat
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wind — moving air
  7. roll — a list
  8. fall — to drop
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. toast — bread
  15. board — a committee
  16. fall — the season
  17. roll — a cake
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — for measuring

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