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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spell — magic
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fine — all right
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. clip — to cut
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. clip — a video
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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