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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. clip — a video
  5. bore — to tire
  6. present — a gift
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bore — to drill

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