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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: stick · pitcher · clip · saw · bore · foot · face · chair

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — a measure
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — for paper
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. clip — a video
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chair — to sit on

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