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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. degree — an amount
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rule — government
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. clip — to cut
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rule — a law
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. degree — temperature

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