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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: safe · rest · clip · drill · mouse · shower · pitch · mug

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. drill — army training
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — the tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. shower — rain
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. drill — a practice

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