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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. clip — a video
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. clip — to cut
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. clip — for paper

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