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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. scale — in music
  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