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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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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: land · current · pass · lash · ruler · sharp · clip · bound

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — certain
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — ground
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. clip — for paper
  16. current — electric
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. land — a country
  21. clip — a video
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. land — to come down
  24. clip — to cut

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