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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. clip — a video
  3. roll — a list
  4. object — an aim
  5. clip — for paper
  6. spring — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — to breed
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. clip — to cut
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. spring — the season
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — to crush
  20. object — to protest
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rest — a break
  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