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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — happening now
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. spring — a coil
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spring — the season
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. current — of water
  16. root — of a plant
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — electric
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — out of danger

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