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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: nail · clip · rule · snap · mouse · bark · rock · scale

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rule — government
  7. scale — size or range
  8. clip — a video
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rule — a law
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. scale — in music
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rock — a stone
  18. snap — to click
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bark — to shout
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rule — to rule out
  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