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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. clip — to cut
  6. present — the time now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. clip — a video
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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