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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — a song
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pound — a weight
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to click
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. nail — for a hammer

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