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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mate — a friend
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mate — a partner
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — a video
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. clip — to cut
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. can — a tin
  15. rule — a law
  16. rock — a stone
  17. can — to be able to
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rule — government
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cabinet — ministers

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