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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lie — to recline
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. capital — a city
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. object — to protest
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. capital — money
  21. object — a thing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. clip — a video
  24. object — an aim

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