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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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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: rule · content · rush · tear · clip · object · firm · bay

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. object — a thing
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. firm — steady
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. content — happy
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rule — a law
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — government
  13. object — to protest
  14. firm — decided
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. content — the amount
  19. firm — a company
  20. clip — to cut
  21. object — an aim
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. content — videos and posts

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