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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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 — a practice
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. roll — a list
  5. tube — a container
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. tube — the underground
  11. roll — a cake
  12. drill — the tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. clip — to cut
  16. drill — army training
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. can — to be able to
  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