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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: straw · bowl · file · foot · rock · net · nail · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. file — a tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a document
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. net — for catching
  24. bowl — a dish

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