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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: clip · ruler · bass · bear · straw · bay · saw · tear

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. saw — the tool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bass — low music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. saw — the tool

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