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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. content — happy
  4. clip — a video
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. content — the amount
  8. rule — government
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a leader
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pass — a permit
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — for paper

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