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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: wound · ruler · clip · current · calf · fork · mouse · key

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. current — happening now
  20. wound — an injury
  21. current — electric
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. key — the most important part

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