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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. hand — help
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. object — to protest
  17. hand — in cards
  18. board — a committee
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mine — for digging
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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