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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: ruler · straw · cue · scale · rock · clip · hand · temple

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rock — a stone
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rock — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cue — for pool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hand — help
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. straw — dry grass

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