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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hand — in cards
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. club — for golf
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rock — a stone
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hand — help
  16. club — a group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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