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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · clip · bat · rush · wound · trunk · content · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. content — happy
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. clip — a video
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — to handle
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. content — the amount
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. content — videos and posts

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