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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — in a race
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. drill — army training
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. nail — on a finger

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