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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: pound · fall · pass · cap · clip · calf · date · net

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. clip — to cut
  4. net — after costs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. net — for catching
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. clip — a video
  11. net — in sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. cap — a hat
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pound — a weight
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cap — of ice

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