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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 · suit · foot · clip · rash · fan · row

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rash — hasty
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. row — a line
  24. foot — part of the body

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