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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. clip — a video
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. object — to protest
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bass — low music
  15. object — a thing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. leaves — lets stay

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