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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 116 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: can · ball · chair · nail · staff · lash · last · track

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. last — to go on
  4. track — a path
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a dance
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. last — final
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. can — a tin
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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