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

Word bank: clip · rule · sharp · kick · squash · wake · bay · bear

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — government
  4. clip — a video
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rule — a law
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. clip — to cut
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wake — before a funeral

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