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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. race — the arms race
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — a video
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. toast — bread
  10. key — for a lock
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — humankind
  16. can — to be able to
  17. key — the most important part
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. key — in music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. race — a contest
  24. stand — to bear

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