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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: perch · rush · kid · mug · mate · clip · nail · craft

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mug — a face
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kid — to tease
  13. clip — for paper
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — boats
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — child
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — to breed
  21. clip — to cut
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. clip — a video
  24. rush — hurry

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