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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — a committee
  4. branch — a division
  5. mate — to breed
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — a container
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ground — crushed
  14. board — to get on
  15. clip — a video
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. key — for a lock
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ground — a position
  24. key — the most important part

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