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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. craft — boats
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. clip — a video
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — to hurry

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