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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 · object · scale · bark · trunk · lash · mug · rock

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. object — an aim
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rock — music
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mug — to rob
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bark — to shout
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rock — a stone

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