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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stock — shares
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kick — in football
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. clip — a video
  24. pit — in a race

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