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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: chest · nail · foot · staff · tube · tear · bark · saw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — a measure
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. staff — a stick
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bark — to shout
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — a container
  21. tear — to rip
  22. chest — of your body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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