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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 · ruler · mark · suit · lie · drill · spring · season

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — a video
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mark — a grade
  7. suit — in cards
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mark — a trace
  10. drill — army training
  11. clip — to cut
  12. spring — a coil
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — to fit
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lie — to recline

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