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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. prune — the fruit
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bore — to drill
  5. race — a contest
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hand — help
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. race — humankind
  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