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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kick — in football
  6. current — happening now
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chest — a box
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. board — a committee
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. racket — for tennis

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