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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 120 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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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: wave · face · file · kick · clip · ruler · nail · branch

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. file — a document
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — in football
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — to confront
  12. file — a tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. file — a line of people
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — a video
  23. kick — a thrill
  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