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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. clip — for paper
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. craft — a skill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. craft — boats
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. season — in sport
  20. clip — a video
  21. game — a match
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — of the year
  24. safe — out of danger

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