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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. clip — a video
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. firm — a company
  5. rule — government
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. tube — a container
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. firm — steady
  14. file — a line of people
  15. tube — the underground
  16. march — the month
  17. squash — to crush
  18. file — a tool
  19. march — the month
  20. clip — for paper
  21. march — music
  22. file — a document
  23. squash — the sport
  24. firm — decided

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