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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  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