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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 124 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cue — for pool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. craft — a skill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cue — a signal
  19. kid — child
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kid — to tease

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