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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. clip — a video
  3. drill — army training
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — a practice
  7. club — for dancing
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. key — the most important part
  11. club — a group
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. club — for golf
  23. key — in music
  24. fall — to drop

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