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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — a permit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. kid — to tease
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fork — a garden tool

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