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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 116 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: pass · fan · court · hide · ruler · wind · clip · fork

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. court — of a king
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — a permit
  13. court — for sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. court — of law
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. clip — a video
  24. pass — to succeed

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