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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · trunk · staff · net · lean · pitcher

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — for catching
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lean — thin
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lean — to bend
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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