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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. clip — a video
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. charge — electricity
  9. drill — a practice
  10. kid — to tease
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. object — an aim
  13. vault — a safe
  14. drill — army training
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — child
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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