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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — a law
  4. clip — to cut
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — hasty
  12. object — to protest
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rule — government
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. clip — a video
  24. squash — to crush

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