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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
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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: clip · scale · mug · nail · date · fan · current · toast

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. scale — size or range
  3. clip — a video
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — electric
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. clip — for paper
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a face
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. current — of water
  20. scale — in music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. clip — to cut

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