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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. ground — crushed
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ground — a position
  13. spell — letters
  14. root — the cause
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. clip — a video
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rule — government
  23. ground — the earth
  24. root — of a word

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