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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tube — a container
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — all right
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ball — a dance
  24. clip — for paper

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