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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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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. object — an aim
  3. cap — a hat
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. clip — a video
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — a hole
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. clip — for paper
  18. branch — a division
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. object — a thing
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. object — to protest

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