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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. clip — a video
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mug — to rob
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — a series
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mug — a face
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — for paper
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ruler — for measuring

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