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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. shower — rain
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. shower — to wash
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ball — a great time
  16. field — a subject
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — help
  20. clip — a video
  21. ball — a dance
  22. clip — for paper
  23. craft — boats
  24. hand — part of the body

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