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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rule — government
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. board — a committee
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. clip — a video
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spring — of water
  20. fork — in a road
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rule — a law

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