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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: ball · trunk · nail · tube · mark · row · perch · sharp

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. row — a line
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mark — a grade
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tube — the underground
  24. perch — the fish

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