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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — to be able to
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bark — to shout
  17. kid — to tease
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. track — a song
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — on a finger

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