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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fall — the season
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fork — in a road
  5. drill — the tool
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. object — an aim
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mate — to breed
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mate — a partner
  16. object — to protest
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. clip — a video
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a dance

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