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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cell — in biology
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. craft — a skill
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — happy
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cell — a phone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. content — the amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — for catching
  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