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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — for paper
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — to cut
  14. chest — a box
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. net — after costs
  17. clip — a video
  18. chest — of your body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. net — in sport

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