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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fine — all right
  5. clip — a video
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — boats
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a line
  16. clip — for paper
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. clip — to cut
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fine — high quality
  23. row — to paddle
  24. safe — a strongbox

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