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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: scale · fan · snap · spell · clip · root · drill · nail

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. scale — size or range
  3. clip — for paper
  4. root — the cause
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. clip — a video
  9. drill — a practice
  10. spell — a short time
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. root — of a plant
  15. clip — to cut
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — letters
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — a supporter

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