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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 124 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — a video
  3. dip — to sink
  4. clip — to cut
  5. swing — in golf
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. land — to come down
  9. snap — to click
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. swing — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ruler — a monarch

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