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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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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: clip · fork · saw · hide · ruler · rash · craft · press

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. craft — boats
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — the tool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — to push
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. clip — a video
  22. fork — in a road
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. hide — to keep secret

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