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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. craft — boats
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wind — moving air
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bore — to tire
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to drill
  24. clip — a video

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