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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: mug · cap · plane · clip · saw · bound · rock · chest

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. clip — a video
  3. mug — to rob
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rock — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mug — a face
  23. plane — a tool
  24. chest — of your body

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