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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. current — electric
  5. object — an aim
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spell — a short time
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cap — of ice
  10. current — of water
  11. clip — to cut
  12. object — a thing
  13. firm — decided
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. clip — a video
  16. spell — letters
  17. firm — a company
  18. current — happening now
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spell — magic
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. object — to protest
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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