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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 120 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: track · mouse · temple · ground · hide · current · clip · nail

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — a position
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — the earth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — to keep track
  24. clip — for paper

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