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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — there
  7. mark — a trace
  8. clip — a video
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rule — a law
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. present — a gift
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. key — for a lock
  17. clip — for paper
  18. present — the time now
  19. key — in music
  20. clip — to cut
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — government
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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