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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bore — to tire
  10. press — newspapers
  11. clip — a video
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. clip — to cut
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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