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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: mouse · mark · arm · kick · trunk · row · nail · file

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. row — a line
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. file — a line of people
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a document
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. file — a tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — part of the body

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