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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: ruler · patient · clip · file · mark · sharp · bank · arm

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. clip — for paper
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. file — a document
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — a video
  14. mark — a grade
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. clip — to cut
  21. file — a tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — for money

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