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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: kick · bear · present · mine · nail · row · stick · mug

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — a gift
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. row — a line
  5. mug — a face
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. present — there
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. row — to paddle
  21. present — the time now
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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