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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: stick · clip · face · ruler · chip · season · fork · bay

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chip — for betting
  15. season — of the year
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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