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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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