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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — a container
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hand — in cards
  7. clip — a video
  8. hand — help
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. net — in sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tube — the underground

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