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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: clip · cap · sharp · fork · mug · lash · saw · nail

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Hold the papers together with 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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — a video
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mug — a cup
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — a face
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mug — to rob
  23. clip — for paper
  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