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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · fall · bowl · stem · bay · cap · clip · squash

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fall — the season
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. file — a tool
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stem — to come from
  19. squash — to crush
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. squash — the sport
  24. file — a document

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