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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — to bear
  5. clip — to cut
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mug — a face
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. suit — clothes
  21. drill — army training
  22. clip — for paper
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. clip — a video

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