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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — a video
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — a stone
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. present — the time now
  9. cell — a phone
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. roll — a list
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. present — there
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. cell — in biology
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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