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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. net — for catching
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kick — in football
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. drill — army training
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chair — a leader
  15. net — in sport
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — after costs
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kick — a thrill

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