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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rock — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — soda
  10. clip — to cut
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pop — music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. drill — army training
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rock — a stone

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