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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.

Make a worksheet

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: jam · nail · clip · arm · kick · drill · press · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — size or range
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. clip — to cut
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. clip — for paper
  12. drill — the tool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. press — to push
  15. clip — a video
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. press — a publisher
  24. drill — army training

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