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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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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: last · clip · ruler · rule · dip · mark · snap · craft

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — a law
  12. mark — a trace
  13. last — to go on
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — boats
  16. rule — government
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mark — a grade
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — to sink

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