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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. clip — to cut
  6. object — an aim
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. object — to protest
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. object — a thing
  12. row — to paddle
  13. tube — a container
  14. row — a line
  15. roll — a list
  16. fine — high quality
  17. clip — a video
  18. tube — the underground
  19. roll — a cake
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tube — in a tire

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