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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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468
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: hand · mate · bulb · row · dip · nail · snap · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hand — help
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kick — in football
  16. snap — to click
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hand — in cards
  24. kick — a thrill

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