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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: wake · nail · chair · bowl · fan · kick · prune · bound

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bound — certain
  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