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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. clip — for paper
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. clip — a video
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fall — the season
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — low music
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rush — to hurry

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