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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.

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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: tube · nail · foot · bark · kid · roll · pass · lash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. foot — a measure
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tube — a container
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. kid — to tease
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. roll — a list

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