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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: clip · scale · dip · bore · ruler · hand · jam · root

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. scale — in music
  17. clip — to cut
  18. root — of a word
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. clip — a video
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hand — help
  24. clip — for paper

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