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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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Word bank
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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: hand · bound · object · calf · bore · rule · bear · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. bound — tied together
  4. clip — to cut
  5. object — to protest
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. bore — to drill
  11. object — a thing
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rule — a law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. object — an aim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — certain

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