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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. clip — to cut
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. clip — for paper
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. capital — a city
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. saw — the tool
  19. clip — a video
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. capital — money

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