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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: chest · kid · mouse · temple · clip · ruler · bear · suit

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chest — of your body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. clip — to cut
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — child
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chest — a box
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — a video
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — clothes

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