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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. land — a country
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. kick — in football
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bark — to shout
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. land — ground
  21. mate — a partner
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bark — of a tree

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