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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: ball · firm · bowl · file · wound · nail · craft · clip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. clip — a video
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — decided
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — boats
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. firm — a company
  16. ball — a dance
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ball — a great time
  20. file — a document
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wound — an injury
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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