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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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bore — to tire
  6. clip — a video
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rule — a law
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wound — an injury
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rule — government
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — to rule out

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