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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. object — to protest
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. clip — for paper
  12. firm — steady
  13. bore — to drill
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. cap — of ice
  17. drill — a practice
  18. object — a thing
  19. drill — army training
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. object — an aim
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bore — to tire

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