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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 · racket · ruler · spell · lie · mate · kid · bound

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. clip — to cut
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bound — certain
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. clip — a video
  19. bound — obliged
  20. clip — for paper
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. racket — a loud noise

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