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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. drill — army training
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — steady
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. drill — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — a company
  12. clip — to cut
  13. firm — decided
  14. capital — a city
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — a permit
  18. clip — a video
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. drill — a practice
  23. capital — money
  24. board — to get on

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