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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. board — a committee
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. mine — an explosive

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