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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 124 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spring — a coil
  6. content — the amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — a subject
  9. clip — a video
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. clip — for paper
  12. field — farmland
  13. spring — the season
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — of water
  16. field — for sport
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bank — for money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — happy

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