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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.

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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: clip · drill · rush · nail · pitcher · perch · charge · bore

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. clip — a video
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. perch — the fish
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. charge — a price
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bore — to tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. charge — electricity
  23. drill — army training
  24. pitcher — a jug

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