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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. spell — magic
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. clip — a video
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. clip — to cut

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