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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — army training
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. drill — the tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. clip — to cut
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. clip — a video
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. firm — a company
  19. staff — a stick
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — the underground
  23. firm — decided
  24. hand — help

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