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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. ball — a dance
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. firm — decided
  7. mug — a face
  8. rule — government
  9. clip — for paper
  10. firm — steady
  11. clip — a video
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — a law
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — a company
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rule — to rule out

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