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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. current — happening now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — electric
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. drill — army training
  10. kid — child
  11. drill — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. current — of water
  17. can — to be able to
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. kick — in football
  23. pound — a weight
  24. kick — a thrill

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