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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · wind · clip · lie · deal · ruler

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — to recline
  12. clip — for paper
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wind — moving air
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth

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