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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bound — certain
  7. clip — a video
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — a break
  15. clip — for paper
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rule — government

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