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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 120 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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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 · wound · kick · arm · nail · hide · cell · pass

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kick — in football
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cell — a phone

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