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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — to handle
  6. root — the cause
  7. mate — a friend
  8. clip — for paper
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. board — a committee
  14. charge — electricity
  15. board — to get on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. object — an aim
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. root — of a word
  21. mate — to breed
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. clip — a video

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