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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mug — to rob
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — the fish
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — low music
  10. clip — to cut
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. snap — to click
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. clip — a video
  18. mug — a cup
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — a face

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