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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bound — certain
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bound — tied together
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pop — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — soda
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rule — a law
  21. key — in music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lean — thin
  24. bound — obliged

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