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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: nail · rush · net · foot · tear · hide · track · chair

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. net — after costs
  12. track — a path
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. track — a song
  16. net — in sport
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chair — a leader
  22. net — for catching
  23. foot — a measure
  24. nail — for a hammer

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