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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pound — a weight
  5. craft — boats
  6. suit — clothes
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. clip — to cut
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. suit — to fit
  18. craft — a skill
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — a law
  23. wind — moving air
  24. clip — a video

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