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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bore — to tire
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. clip — for paper
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rock — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. clip — a video
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — a stone

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