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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. drill — the tool
  4. clip — a video
  5. rash — a series
  6. plane — a tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — thin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. firm — steady
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — hasty
  18. clip — to cut
  19. firm — decided
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. drill — army training

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