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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: band · sharp · rock · lean · clip · mark · rule · dip

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rule — a law
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rock — a stone
  10. clip — to cut
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rock — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. clip — for paper
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. clip — a video
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mark — to pay attention

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