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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. spell — magic
  3. mate — a friend
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. clip — a video
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rest — a break
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — boats
  16. branch — a division
  17. craft — a skill
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mate — to breed
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — a gift
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mate — a partner

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