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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 116 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 · lie · nail · tear · mate · object · can · bear

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tear — to rip
  11. object — an aim
  12. mate — to breed
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. mate — a friend
  22. object — a thing
  23. clip — for paper
  24. can — a tin

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