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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spring — of water
  3. clip — for paper
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spring — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. kid — child
  22. ground — crushed
  23. clip — a video
  24. kid — to tease

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