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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — a skill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. net — after costs
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. net — in sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. net — for catching

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