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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wake — a trail
  8. board — to get on
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. board — a committee
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. kick — in football
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stem — to come from
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. jam — a tight spot

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