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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: toast · deal · clip · mug · bound · firm · drill · bear

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bound — tied together
  6. firm — decided
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mug — to rob
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — army training
  14. bear — the animal
  15. toast — bread
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — certain
  19. mug — a face
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mug — a cup
  23. drill — the tool
  24. clip — a video

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