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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — a break
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — a face
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fork — in a road
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. temple — a place of worship

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