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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. shower — rain
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. squash — to crush
  19. can — to be able to
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cap — a hat
  22. squash — the sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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