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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 116 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: last · nail · club · fan · fine · clip · object · rock

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fine — all right
  4. last — finally
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. club — for golf
  8. clip — for paper
  9. last — final
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — a group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. clip — to cut
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. clip — a video
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — to protest
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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