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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — in control
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — electricity
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — a price
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fork — in a road

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