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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lie — to recline
  3. firm — a company
  4. bore — to tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pop — to visit
  10. clip — a video
  11. pop — soda
  12. firm — steady
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. firm — decided
  15. rule — government
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pop — music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — for paper

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