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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rush — hurry
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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