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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. toast — bread
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rule — government
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. file — a line of people
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. file — a document
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rule — a law
  23. file — a tool
  24. clip — a video

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