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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. clip — for paper
  5. file — a line of people
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — a group
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. clip — a video
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wind — moving air
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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