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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. club — for dancing
  5. drill — army training
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — to get on
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. club — a group
  16. cell — a phone
  17. club — for golf
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mug — to rob
  23. board — a committee
  24. mug — a cup

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