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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. craft — a skill
  4. drill — army training
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rule — government
  10. craft — boats
  11. sharp — clever
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stand — for spectators

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