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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: clip · scale · rule · squash · cap · roll · lie · calf

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. roll — a cake
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cap — a hat
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — government
  14. scale — in music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. roll — a list
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rule — a law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. clip — a video

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