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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — government
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rule — a law
  13. key — in music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. clip — a video
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wake — before a funeral

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