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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. clip — for paper
  6. board — a committee
  7. drill — army training
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. clip — a video
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. clip — to cut
  21. current — of water
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wound — an injury

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