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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.

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: bay · bulb · mouse · object · clip · mine · ruler · spell

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mine — for digging
  4. clip — a video
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. spell — magic
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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