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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. clip — to cut
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rest — a break
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. clip — a video
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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