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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mine — for digging
  7. file — a tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. file — a document
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. file — a line of people

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