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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. band — a ring
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. race — a contest
  8. clip — a video
  9. race — the arms race
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fine — all right
  13. suit — in cards
  14. board — to get on
  15. clip — for paper
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mate — a partner
  19. race — humankind
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. board — a committee

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