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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: staff · foot · tube · nail · arm · ball · snap · dip

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — the underground
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — a container
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ball — a dance
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. dip — to sink
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. staff — employees

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