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

Word bank: kick · drill · bass · wind · foot · mate · nail · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — army training
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mate — a friend
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — low music
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. drill — a practice
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kick — in football
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. toast — bread

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