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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. drill — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tube — a container
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. tube — the underground
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. drill — army training
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bear — the animal
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bear — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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