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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cap — of ice
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. craft — a skill
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cap — a hat
  11. craft — boats
  12. key — in music
  13. present — there
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a lid
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. key — for a lock

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