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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: hand · fine · spring · stand · clip · deal · bound · ruler

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. hand — in cards
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bound — obliged
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spring — the season
  16. fine — all right
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ruler — for measuring

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