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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: nail · wind · file · track · tube · mark · kick · land

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — a container
  4. kick — in football
  5. track — a song
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a document
  10. wind — moving air
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tube — the underground
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — ground
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. track — to keep track
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. track — a path

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