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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — in football
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — a measure
  10. scale — in music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. nail — on a finger
  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