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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. clip — a video
  3. march — the month
  4. clip — to cut
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — for paper
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — a measure
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. lie — to recline

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