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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rock — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. club — for golf
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — a group
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bound — certain
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — on a finger

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