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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 116 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: bound · nail · cell · clip · can · stick · suit · cap

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bound — certain
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bound — tied together
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cell — in biology
  21. clip — a video
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — to be able to

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