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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. club — for golf
  7. clip — a video
  8. rest — a break
  9. drill — a practice
  10. clip — for paper
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — army training
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — from crying
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. club — for dancing

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