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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: tear · bat · nail · clip · bowl · ruler · cap · leaves

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cap — a lid
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. clip — for paper
  7. tear — from crying
  8. clip — to cut
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cap — a hat
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bat — the animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. clip — a video

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