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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bass — low music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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