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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: wound · pitcher · nail · bore · hide · cell · staff · kick

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to tire
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kick — in football
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — to drill

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