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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: mark · bank · cap · clip · pound · mug · board · lie

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. clip — a video
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. clip — for paper
  8. board — a committee
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mug — a cup
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bank — for money
  22. mug — a face
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bank — of a river

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