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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: row · saw · last · spring · foot · nail · clip · object

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spring — the season
  4. last — final
  5. spring — a coil
  6. object — an aim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. foot — a measure
  10. object — to protest
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — a thing
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. clip — to cut
  20. last — finally
  21. spring — of water
  22. clip — for paper
  23. last — to go on
  24. clip — a video

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