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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: clip · lean · firm · fork · ruler · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. firm — decided
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lean — to bend
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. clip — a video
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — a company
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — thin
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — to rest against

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