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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pop — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. clip — a video
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lean — thin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pop — soda
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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