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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. tube — the underground
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. clip — to cut
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. clip — a video
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mine — for digging
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. clip — for paper
  24. tube — in a tire

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