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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spell — a short time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — magic
  11. wound — an injury
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rest — a break
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — boats
  24. spell — letters

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