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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — to fit
  5. clip — for paper
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mate — a friend
  17. suit — in cards
  18. clip — to cut
  19. swing — to play on
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. clip — a video

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