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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. scale — size or range
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — a thing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. land — a country
  11. object — an aim
  12. land — ground
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. land — to come down
  18. object — to protest
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. calf — of the leg

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