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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. clip — a video
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. clip — to cut
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. spell — magic
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rule — a law
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. row — a line
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mug — a cup
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mug — to rob
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — a face

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