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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · chest · clip · firm · spring · sharp · bay · season

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — a video
  3. spring — a coil
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — of water
  8. firm — a company
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spring — the season
  11. chest — of your body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. firm — decided
  16. chest — a box
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — in sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. clip — to cut

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