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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: nail · mine · cap · rush · clip · prune · chip · mark

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cap — a lid
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mark — a grade
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. clip — a video
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mine — for digging
  18. chip — for betting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chip — to eat

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