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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: present · face · wave · roll · can · clip · cabinet · jam

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. face — to point toward
  8. roll — a list
  9. present — a gift
  10. can — to be able to
  11. face — to confront
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. face — part of the head
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. can — a tin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. present — the time now
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. present — there
  24. can — a tin

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