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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — high quality
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — a position
  15. fine — all right
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rock — a stone
  20. clip — a video
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — the earth
  23. drill — army training
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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