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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. toast — bread
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. clip — a video
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. charge — in control
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rule — government
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. rule — a law

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