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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. clip — a video
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. clip — for paper
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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