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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.

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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: cap · clip · pound · rest · ruler · tear · mark · can

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — to cut
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — of ice
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — a break
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. can — to be able to
  19. clip — a video
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rest — what's left

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