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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · court · can · cell · cap · leaves · clip · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. court — for sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cell — a phone
  9. clip — for paper
  10. court — of a king
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. clip — to cut
  13. court — of law
  14. cap — of ice
  15. clip — a video
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — a tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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