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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. clip — for paper
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pound — a weight
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — a contest
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pop — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pop — soda
  12. race — humankind
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. clip — to cut
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. race — the arms race
  22. clip — a video
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. saw — the tool

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