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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: clip · mine · mark · saw · hand · nail · club · mate

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — a video
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. club — for dancing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. mate — to breed
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mate — a friend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. club — for golf
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mate — a partner

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