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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. rule — a law
  4. board — a committee
  5. rule — government
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. land — ground
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — to get on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — a country
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. land — to come down
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — for dancing

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