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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. swing — to play on
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — letters
  18. toast — bread
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spell — a short time
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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