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

Word bank: stick · face · clip · kid · ruler · wave

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. 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. face — to confront
  3. clip — for paper
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. clip — a video
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. clip — to cut
  18. 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