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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — to recline
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. clip — a video
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — bread
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. clip — to cut
  18. board — a committee
  19. march — the month
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. march — music
  23. board — to get on
  24. rest — what's left

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