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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — finally
  3. clip — a video
  4. wake — a trail
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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