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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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 — army training
  2. clip — to cut
  3. charge — in control
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. clip — a video
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rock — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. clip — for paper
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. charge — electricity
  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