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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 · rash · deal · can · toast · rock · bore · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. can — a tin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rock — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. clip — a video
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — hasty
  19. toast — bread
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. clip — for paper

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