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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: arm · foot · cell · kick · nail · bass · wake · file

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. file — a document
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. file — a tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a line of people
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bass — low music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. kick — in football
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cell — a phone

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