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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. clip — to cut
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. object — an aim
  7. mate — a friend
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rock — music
  10. clip — a video
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ground — crushed
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — to protest
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mate — a partner
  22. object — a thing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — tied together

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