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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: snap · chest · trunk · board · pass · nail · foot · net

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. board — to get on
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chest — a box
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. chest — of your body
  13. snap — to click
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. foot — a measure

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