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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: ruler · straw · fork · trunk · kick · fan · stand · clip

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. clip — a video
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kick — in football
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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