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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: deal · temple · ruler · foot · tear · clip · saw · leaves

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. clip — a video
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — for paper
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tear — to rip
  8. saw — the tool
  9. clip — to cut
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. foot — a measure
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — to handle
  24. temple — a place of worship

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