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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tube — a container
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bank — for money

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