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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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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 · prune · wound · hide · clip · firm · content · cap

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — the amount
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — a video
  14. content — happy
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cap — a hat
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — a lid
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — a company

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