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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · prune · mug · clip · cap · season · stand · bank

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mug — a cup
  4. prune — to trim
  5. foot — a measure
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cap — a lid
  13. season — of the year
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cap — a hat
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. cap — of ice
  19. season — in sport
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. season — to add flavour

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