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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stand — to bear
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bound — certain
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rule — a law
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stand — on your feet

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