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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. clip — for paper
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — the tool
  7. game — a match
  8. ground — a position
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. clip — a video
  14. wind — moving air
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. game — wild animals
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — to cut
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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