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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bore — to drill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. clip — a video
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pop — music
  9. file — a tool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wound — an injury
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pop — soda
  17. rock — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. file — a document
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. file — a line of people
  24. clip — to cut

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