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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — to bend
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. file — a tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bound — obliged
  16. file — a document
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. clip — a video
  19. mug — a face
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lean — thin
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bound — tied together
  24. file — a line of people

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