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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.

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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: dip · straw · fall · fine · ruler · saw · clip · nail

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. clip — to cut
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fall — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — all right
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fine — a penalty

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