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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · can · pound · clip · calf · bore · file · sharp

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. clip — to cut
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bore — to drill
  7. file — a line of people
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pound — a weight
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. file — a document
  19. can — to be able to
  20. clip — a video
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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