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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — decided
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. file — a tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. file — a document
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. firm — a company
  20. fall — to drop
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fall — to drop
  24. file — a line of people

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