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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. clip — to cut
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — completely
  7. vault — a safe
  8. club — for golf
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mine — for digging
  11. clip — for paper
  12. club — a group
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. branch — a division
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. clip — a video
  24. mate — a partner

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