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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — for digging
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pass — a permit
  24. nail — on a finger

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