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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 120 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
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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: squash · sharp · stand · present · clip · drill · key · wound

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. drill — a practice
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. present — a gift
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — the most important part
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — there
  18. drill — army training
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. present — the time now
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. squash — the sport
  24. clip — for paper

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