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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: pass · clip · saw · bear · cabinet · drill · trunk · swing

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. clip — to cut
  5. swing — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — the tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. drill — a practice
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pass — a permit

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