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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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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 · present · prune · safe · kick · foot · file · mate

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. mate — to breed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — a measure
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a line of people
  17. kick — in football
  18. file — a document
  19. mate — a friend
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — the time now
  24. kick — with a leg

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