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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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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — a measure
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kick — in football
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — a trail
  11. can — a tin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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