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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. clip — to cut
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. clip — a video
  7. can — a tin
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. clip — for paper
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bound — tied together
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bound — certain
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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