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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: present · fall · leaves · clip · pop · racket · can · mate

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. clip — a video
  3. pop — soda
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pop — to visit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pop — music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — the season
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — there
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — to breed
  18. can — to be able to
  19. clip — for paper
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mate — a partner
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. present — the time now
  24. can — a tin

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