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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — a video
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. land — ground
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pass — a permit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. dip — to sink
  21. clip — for paper
  22. land — to come down
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. land — a country

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