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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mark — a grade
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. can — a tin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — a video
  10. rule — a law
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — a gift
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — a committee
  18. present — there
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. present — the time now
  21. board — to get on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. board — a flat piece

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