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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. clip — to cut
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — for paper
  14. roll — a list
  15. can — to be able to
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — army training
  24. hide — animal skin

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