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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. clip — a video
  3. sharp — clever
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mark — a trace
  7. board — to get on
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. clip — for paper
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rule — a law
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — a division
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spring — the season
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rule — government
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — to pay attention

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