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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — for paper
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mate — a friend
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — a skill
  11. suit — to fit
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. suit — clothes
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. vault — a safe
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — boats
  20. current — happening now
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. clip — a video
  24. shower — rain

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