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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. stock — goods
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. shower — rain
  6. current — happening now
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. current — electric
  10. present — the time now
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — a permit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. clip — for paper
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bore — to tire
  18. shower — to wash
  19. current — of water
  20. bore — to drill
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — shares

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