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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
468
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: foot · jam · hide · game · clip · lean · drill · wind

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — thin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wind — moving air
  11. clip — to cut
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. drill — army training
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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