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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — a video
  3. staff — employees
  4. mug — a face
  5. staff — a stick
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fall — to drop
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tube — a container
  16. mug — to rob
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bulb — for light

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