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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. drill — a practice
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. press — a publisher
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. hand — in cards
  13. plane — a tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. drill — army training
  16. press — to push
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hand — help
  22. plane — an aircraft
  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