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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. spell — magic
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bank — for money
  10. cap — a lid
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spell — letters
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. clip — a video
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. track — a song
  21. clip — for paper
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cap — of ice

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