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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. clip — a video
  8. spring — a coil
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rash — a series
  13. spring — the season
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — army training
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spring — of water

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