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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: stand · roll · ruler · clip · suit · scale · march · hide

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. clip — for paper
  3. march — the month
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — in music
  6. march — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stand — to bear
  10. suit — clothes
  11. scale — size or range
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. suit — in cards
  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