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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 116 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: trunk · face · can · mark · nail · fine · club · kick

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. can — to be able to
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — a group
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to confront
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. kick — in football
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fine — all right
  24. mark — a trace

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