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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: clip · rule · mug · fan · bore · nail · content · current

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. content — happy
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. rule — government
  8. current — of water
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rule — a law
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. content — the amount
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. current — happening now
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — a face
  23. current — electric
  24. bore — to drill

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