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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. clip — for paper
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pit — in a race
  14. club — for golf
  15. mate — a friend
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — happening now
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mate — to breed
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. tear — from crying

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