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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. clip — for paper
  3. last — to go on
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. firm — a company
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — finally
  12. firm — steady
  13. clip — a video
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. clip — to cut
  17. kick — in football
  18. last — final
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. firm — decided
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kick — a thrill

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