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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. file — a document
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — a video
  12. bound — certain
  13. root — of a plant
  14. clip — for paper
  15. file — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. pit — a hole
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mate — a partner
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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