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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. clip — a video
  3. rest — a break
  4. pound — a weight
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. face — part of the head
  8. clip — to cut
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fall — the season
  11. pass — a permit
  12. face — to confront
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. drill — army training
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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