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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mug — a face
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rock — music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — a cup
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. snap — to click

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