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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. craft — boats
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. calf — a young animal

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