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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. clip — a video
  3. current — of water
  4. suit — in cards
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bore — to tire
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. deal — to handle
  22. drill — the tool
  23. current — electric
  24. clip — to cut

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