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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.

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 · wound · mate · stand · suit · scale · nail · key

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — size or range
  12. clip — to cut
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. clip — a video
  18. mate — a friend
  19. scale — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. nail — on a finger

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