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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pit — in a race
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. board — to get on
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. clip — a video
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. board — a committee
  15. present — there
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — a hole
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. board — a flat piece

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