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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 124 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. drill — the tool
  3. clip — a video
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. clip — for paper
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ground — a position
  8. roll — a list
  9. drill — army training
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tube — a container
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — a flat piece

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