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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 120 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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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: track · cabinet · mouse · hand · mate · drill · clip · bear

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bear — the animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. track — a path
  8. hand — help
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — in cards
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mouse — for a computer

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