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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pop — music
  8. bass — low music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pop — soda
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — the amount
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. row — a line
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  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