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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. clip — a video
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lie — to recline
  5. clip — for paper
  6. charge — a price
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — in control
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rest — a break
  17. board — a committee
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ruler — for measuring

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