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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — humankind
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. clip — a video
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. race — a contest
  10. clip — for paper
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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