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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bowl · hide · chest · foot · nail · wound · clip · pop

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pop — soda
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. clip — a video
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pop — to visit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — music

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