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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: club · wound · track · hide · kid · firm · ruler · clip

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. firm — decided
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — for paper
  4. firm — steady
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — a group
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. clip — a video
  12. track — a song
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — for dancing
  17. kid — child
  18. firm — a company
  19. track — a path
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. club — for golf
  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