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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: drill · spell · patient · wind · clip · ruler

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. spell — magic
  9. drill — army training
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wind — moving air
  16. spell — letters
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — for measuring

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