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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 116 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rule — a law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rule — government
  13. rock — music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. march — the month
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. march — music
  24. rock — a stone

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