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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wake — a trail
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. clip — a video
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pop — soda
  18. clip — for paper
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. pop — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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