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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 120 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. clip — a video
  3. firm — a company
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. firm — steady
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — a container
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rest — a break
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ground — a position
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. firm — decided
  24. ground — the earth

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