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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · dip · key · bound · stand · root · rule · rest

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rule — a law
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. key — in music
  9. root — of a plant
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. clip — a video
  12. bound — certain
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rest — a break
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bound — obliged
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — tied together

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