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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bass — low music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — the fish
  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