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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. track — a path
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. track — a song
  9. present — there
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. shower — rain
  15. present — a gift
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — to keep track
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bat — in an idiom

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