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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 120 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: mark · nail · arm · straw · rule · foot · pop · kid

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. foot — a measure
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rule — government
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rule — a law
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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