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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. degree — temperature
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. degree — an amount
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to click
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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