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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. root — of a word
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. root — the cause
  24. mate — a friend

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