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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — a stone
  4. snap — to click
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. field — for sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rock — music
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. field — a subject
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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