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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. drill — army training
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. drill — the tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. club — for golf
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. club — for dancing
  19. drill — a practice
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. clip — to cut
  23. chair — a leader
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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