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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · chair · can · snap · leaves · race · ground · fan

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ground — a position
  6. chair — a leader
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — for paper
  11. can — to be able to
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ground — the earth
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — humankind
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ground — crushed
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to click
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. can — a tin
  24. clip — to cut

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