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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — to handle
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mate — a friend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bat — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — a partner
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. calf — of the leg

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