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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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Word bank
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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: wound · nail · can · spell · clip · season · foot · cap

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cap — a lid
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — of ice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spell — letters
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spell — magic
  22. wound — an injury
  23. clip — a video
  24. nail — on a finger

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