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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.

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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. shower — to wash
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. craft — boats
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a skill
  19. shower — rain
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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