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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. hide — to keep secret
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rash — a series
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. clip — for paper
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lie — an untruth

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