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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: pass · cap · clip · bound · wake · mark · pitcher · face

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — to confront
  11. bound — certain
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. clip — a video
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — a grade

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