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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. field — a subject
  3. clip — a video
  4. rest — a break
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rest — what's left
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bore — to tire
  9. field — farmland
  10. clip — for paper
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. charge — in control
  13. field — for sport
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — a price
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bore — to drill
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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