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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bank — for money
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. drill — army training
  11. mate — a partner
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — to point toward
  19. clip — a video
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. clip — for paper
  23. face — to confront
  24. cell — in biology

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