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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.

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: leaves · club · land · ruler · clip · file · spell · jam

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a line of people
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — to cut
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. clip — for paper
  8. spell — a short time
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. file — a tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. land — to come down
  15. spell — magic
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a document
  19. land — ground
  20. clip — a video
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — letters
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. ruler — for measuring

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