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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: file · trunk · staff · nail · perch · dip · wind · foot

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. file — a document
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. staff — a stick
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — a measure
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. perch — the fish
  20. file — a tool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a line of people
  24. trunk — of a tree

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