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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. charge — in control
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. clip — a video
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. charge — a price
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — army training
  19. pit — in a race
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bark — to shout

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