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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: nail · race · spell · suit · foot · mug · arm · net

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mug — a face
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. net — for catching
  9. suit — to fit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. net — after costs
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. race — the arms race
  15. spell — magic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — a contest
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spell — a short time
  21. race — humankind
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mug — a cup

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