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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · clip · nail · bore · saw · trunk · spring · can

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spring — the season
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spring — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — to drill

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