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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. clip — for paper
  7. hand — help
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — all right
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — high quality
  24. can — a tin

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