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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bank — of a river
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bank — for money
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — a video
  11. race — humankind
  12. season — of the year
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. season — in sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. craft — a skill
  18. race — a contest
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. kid — child
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bank — for money

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