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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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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 · face · jam · ruler · wind · rock · bound · bowl

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — certain
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. clip — a video
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — moving air

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