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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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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 · coach · bay · content · clip · snap · lean · cabinet

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. content — the amount
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. snap — to click
  8. lean — thin
  9. rule — government
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. clip — to cut
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — happy
  18. rule — a law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — for paper
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. clip — a video
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — to bend

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