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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. clip — to cut
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. clip — a video
  9. stock — shares
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stock — goods
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — an injury

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