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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rock — a stone
  3. clip — to cut
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — boats
  6. tear — from crying
  7. current — of water
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. current — happening now
  10. tear — to rip
  11. roll — a cake
  12. clip — a video
  13. tear — from crying
  14. craft — a skill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — a list
  19. current — electric
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. craft — a handicraft

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