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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. clip — a video
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — final
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — to fit
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — to go on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mate — a partner
  19. suit — in cards
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. last — finally
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. clip — for paper

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