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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: bay · toast · ruler · fork · wound · present · firm · clip

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. clip — to cut
  3. firm — decided
  4. toast — bread
  5. fork — in a road
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — the time now
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — there
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. firm — a company
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. wound — an injury
  24. present — a gift

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