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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rule — a law
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. clip — to cut
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stand — to bear
  13. roll — a list
  14. clip — a video
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rule — government
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lash — to lash out

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