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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · tube · pass · can · nail · chest · bowl · mine

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — a container
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. clip — for paper
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chest — a box
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chest — of your body

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