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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: object · march · clip · fork · lie · ruler · fan · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — an aim
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. clip — a video
  11. object — to protest
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — the month
  14. object — a thing
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lie — to recline
  19. march — music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. clip — to cut
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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