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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · rush · bear · pit · fan · clip · arm · scale

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. drill — a practice
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pit — in a race
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — in music
  10. drill — army training
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bear — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rush — hurry
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. clip — a video
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fan — a supporter

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