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

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tube — a container
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — the underground
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. nail — for a hammer

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