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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — a line
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. snap — to click
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — the most important part
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — in music
  12. stock — goods
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stock — shares
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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