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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cue — for pool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — a hint
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a signal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pass — a permit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — electric

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