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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cap — a lid
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cap — of ice
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — in a road
  10. key — in music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spell — magic
  17. shower — to wash
  18. clip — to cut
  19. spell — letters
  20. clip — a video
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — for a lock
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. shower — rain

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