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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: nail · kick · mark · bulb · wax · present · perch · lash

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kick — in football
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. perch — the fish
  11. present — a gift
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — an eyelash

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