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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. drill — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — army training

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