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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 120 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: cap · wave · club · fan · clip · stand · rule · present

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. present — there
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. club — for dancing
  9. present — the time now
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — a group
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for golf
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. present — a gift
  24. stand — to bear

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