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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 120 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rock — a stone
  3. present — the time now
  4. tube — a container
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. clip — for paper
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. present — there
  19. clip — a video
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. present — a gift
  22. row — to paddle
  23. spell — letters
  24. rock — music

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