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

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — magic
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — a weight
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. object — to protest
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. can — to be able to
  20. clip — a video
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — a thing

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