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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — of water
  4. drill — army training
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. current — electric
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — a video
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — to drill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — in a road
  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