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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fall — the season
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spring — of water
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a friend

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