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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. plane — a tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. kick — in football
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. bound — tied together
  12. current — of water
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — a path
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. current — happening now
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. branch — a division
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — obliged
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — certain

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