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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. season — of the year
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. clip — a video
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. branch — a division
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. object — an aim
  21. lie — to recline
  22. object — to protest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — a thing

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