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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 116 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. clip — a video
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chip — for betting
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. kick — in football
  8. clip — for paper
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. drill — the tool
  11. clip — to cut
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fine — all right
  16. plane — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chip — to eat
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — a practice

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