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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. file — a document
  8. press — to push
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. press — newspapers
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — in a road
  24. press — a publisher

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