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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: mark · ruler · clip · nail · deal · mine · rest · ground

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ground — a position
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — crushed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — the earth
  9. deal — to handle
  10. clip — for paper
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — a grade
  16. clip — a video
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mine — for digging
  21. clip — to cut
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rest — a break

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