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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rule — government
  5. clip — for paper
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — certain
  21. rule — a law
  22. toast — bread
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — with an edge

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