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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
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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: toast · hide · lean · nail · pound · plane · net · can

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. net — for catching
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lean — to bend
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — a weight
  14. plane — a tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. net — after costs
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. toast — bread
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hide — animal skin

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