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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
468
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 · bear · bound · dip · lash · shower · clip · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bound — tied together
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bound — obliged
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. shower — rain
  11. bear — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bound — certain
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ball — a dance
  21. clip — a video
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ball — a great time

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