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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: kid · nail · saw · can · bear · mark · foot · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. staff — a stick
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mark — a grade
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kid — child
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — to be able to
  22. foot — a measure
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mark — a trace

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