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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.

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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — a break
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mate — a friend
  5. clip — a video
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — for paper
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — electric
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. current — happening now
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — of water
  24. track — a path

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