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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: leaves · present · ruler · deal · bear · clip · safe · pound

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. deal — to handle
  4. present — there
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — to cut
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — a weight
  22. clip — a video
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. safe — out of danger

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