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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: clip · ruler · ground · jam · pound · bear · lean · bank

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ground — crushed
  4. clip — for paper
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ground — a position
  10. clip — a video
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — a weight
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lean — thin
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — to rest against
  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