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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 120 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: fall · clip · content · chip · board · spell · mine · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. board — to get on
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fall — to drop
  7. clip — a video
  8. spell — magic
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fall — the season
  12. spell — a short time
  13. clip — for paper
  14. content — the amount
  15. clip — to cut
  16. spell — letters
  17. chip — for betting
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — belonging to me

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