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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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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: toast · nail · object · last · content · wind · can · kick

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. can — to be able to
  9. object — an aim
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — finally
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — in football
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. object — a thing
  17. last — to go on
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — bread
  21. object — to protest
  22. last — final
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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