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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cap — a lid
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — a thing
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cap — a hat
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — the amount
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wake — a trail
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. object — to protest
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — of ice

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