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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. clip — a video
  19. current — of water
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chair — a leader
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. clip — for paper

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