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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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 — for measuring
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — letters
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. root — of a word
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — magic
  11. fine — all right
  12. clip — to cut
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — electric
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. clip — for paper
  23. root — the cause
  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