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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. drill — a practice
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. capital — a city
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. capital — money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. sharp — clever
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. prune — to trim

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