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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 · saw · tear · clip · fan · stand · lie · net

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stand — to bear
  4. net — after costs
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. net — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — for catching
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. clip — to cut

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