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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 120 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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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 · saw · ruler · hand · stick · pitcher · fine · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. clip — a video
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — help
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — the tool
  15. clip — for paper
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — to cut
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — a penalty

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