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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rule — a law
  6. scale — in music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. scale — size or range
  9. clip — a video
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — to cut
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — government
  24. hide — animal skin

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