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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pop — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. clip — for paper
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. clip — a video
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pop — to visit
  24. patient — a sick person

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