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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: clip · fine · spell · fan · pass · cabinet · saw · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fine — high quality
  4. clip — to cut
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. clip — a video
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fine — all right
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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