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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: race · kick · foot · nail · bark · stand · band · can

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. race — humankind
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. race — a contest
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. race — the arms race
  19. band — a ring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. nail — on a finger

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