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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 120 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: ball · kick · nail · foot · file · press · tube · staff

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a document
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — a container
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ball — a great time
  10. press — a publisher
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — to push
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. staff — employees
  18. file — a tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a dance
  22. press — newspapers
  23. staff — a stick
  24. kick — a thrill

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