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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — a series
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. clip — a video
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mug — a cup
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. clip — to cut
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mug — a face
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rule — government
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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