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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mug — a cup
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. content — the amount
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mug — a face
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. calf — a young animal

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