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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. clip — a video
  3. drill — a practice
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. drill — the tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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