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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — a video
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. clip — for paper
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to tire
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fan — a supporter

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