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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: bear · pit · wax · ruler · saw · game · staff · clip

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — wild animals
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a match
  13. wax — to grow
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pit — in a race
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bear — to put up with
  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