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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. dip — to sink
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — help
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mark — a trace
  23. nail — on a finger
  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