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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. shower — rain
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lie — to recline

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