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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: bass · clip · rush · jam · fine · saw · pound · nail

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. clip — a video
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fine — all right
  13. bass — low music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. clip — for paper
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pound — a weight
  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