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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. clip — a video
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — a signal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bound — obliged
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. clip — for paper

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