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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mate — a partner
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — magic
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. root — of a word
  13. mate — to breed
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mate — a friend
  16. board — to get on
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — a committee
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — the fruit
  23. root — the cause
  24. date — on the calendar

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