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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. nail — on a finger

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