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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fine — high quality
  4. drill — the tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fine — all right
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. track — a song
  17. kid — child
  18. track — a path
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wake — before a funeral

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