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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: scale · row · bear · nail · kick · jam · lean · hand

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lean — thin
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hand — help
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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