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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: plane · bound · bay · arm · clip · cap · wave · rule

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cap — a hat
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bound — obliged
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — government
  17. bound — certain
  18. rule — a law
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wave — of the sea

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