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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. last — to go on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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