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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. clip — a video
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. clip — for paper
  16. season — in sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ground — crushed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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