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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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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: tear · rule · coach · mug · clip · content · jam · kick

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. content — the amount
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. clip — a video
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. clip — for paper
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. content — happy
  15. mug — a face
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rule — government
  18. clip — to cut
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rule — a law
  22. kick — in football
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — to rule out

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