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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cell — in biology
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. suit — to fit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a document
  11. capital — money
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cue — a hint
  15. row — a line
  16. cue — a signal
  17. capital — a city
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — for pool
  24. suit — in cards

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