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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 124 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. branch — a division
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — an injury
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wound — an injury

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