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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — shares
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — a safe
  14. toast — bread
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bark — to shout
  23. clip — a video
  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