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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bank — for money
  3. clip — a video
  4. rest — what's left
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — an injury
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wound — an injury
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bound — certain
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rule — government
  17. snap — to click
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rest — a break

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