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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 · firm · wound · ruler · face · scale · sharp · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. firm — decided
  10. clip — to cut
  11. firm — steady
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — a company
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. clip — for paper
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. clip — a video
  23. scale — in music
  24. wound — an injury

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