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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 120 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: chest · mouse · squash · wake · object · nail · kick · trunk

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. object — to protest
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — the sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — the animal

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