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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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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: hand · can · spell · tube · ruler · clip · racket · stand

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — a container
  6. can — to be able to
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spell — letters
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — magic
  12. can — a tin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hand — help
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. clip — a video
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — part of the body

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