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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cue — a signal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pit — in a race
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a hole

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