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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. root — the cause
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a song
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stock — shares
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. root — of a word
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a path
  24. saw — the tool

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