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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. clip — to cut
  9. file — a line of people
  10. clip — for paper
  11. file — a document
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mark — a trace
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. clip — a video
  21. file — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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