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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 124 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ground — crushed
  4. track — a song
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ground — the earth
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — a thing
  11. hand — help
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — to protest
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. object — an aim
  17. dip — to sink
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ground — a position
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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