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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — the season
  8. clip — for paper
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fall — to drop
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. clip — a video
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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