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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — to go on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. last — finally
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mate — a friend
  11. clip — a video
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — final
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wound — an injury

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