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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
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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: nail · land · spell · fork · drill · track · foot · kick

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spell — a short time
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — to keep track
  6. land — ground
  7. foot — a measure
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. land — a country
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. track — a path
  15. land — to come down
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. kick — in football
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

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