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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 116 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: saw · clip · drill · club · face · hide · stick · current

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. clip — for paper
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. clip — a video
  12. saw — the tool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. face — to point toward
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. face — to confront
  18. current — electric
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. current — happening now
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — of water
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — the tool

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