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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — a hat
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. clip — a video
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — help
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cap — a lid

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