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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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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 · face · prune · ruler · ground · clip · rule · saw

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. face — to point toward
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. rule — a law
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ground — a position
  16. rule — government
  17. clip — to cut
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ground — crushed
  24. face — part of the head

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