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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hand — help
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — a video
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. suit — clothes
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. clip — for paper
  14. capital — money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. suit — to fit
  18. capital — a city
  19. clip — to cut
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mouse — the animal

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