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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: clip · land · pound · trunk · bore · file · can · bear

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. land — a country
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bore — to tire
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. can — a tin
  8. clip — for paper
  9. file — a tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. clip — to cut
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — to come down
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. can — to be able to
  18. land — ground
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a document

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