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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rule — a law
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. craft — a skill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. sharp — clever
  15. craft — boats
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. dip — to sink
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rule — government
  24. kick — in football

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