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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · ruler · present · wound · key · bass · bear · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. current — of water
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — for a lock
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — in music
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — electric
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bear — the animal
  21. clip — a video
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — there
  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