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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. present — there
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. clip — a video
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — a practice
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. clip — to cut

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