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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. capital — money
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. drill — a practice
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. capital — a city
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — for paper
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. saw — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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