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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. clip — a video
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. board — a committee
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rule — government
  15. bulb — for light
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — for paper
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cell — in biology
  20. board — to get on
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. straw — dry grass

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