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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 120 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — a country
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. firm — steady
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cold — an illness
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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