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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: cap · clip · spring · mug · object · face · pound · fork

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spring — of water
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — to confront
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spring — the season
  9. face — part of the head
  10. clip — a video
  11. spring — a coil
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mug — a face
  15. object — an aim
  16. clip — to cut
  17. object — to protest
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cap — a lid
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — a cup

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