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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. clip — to cut
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ground — crushed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. key — in music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. key — for a lock
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — a position
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. kick — in football
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. clip — a video
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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