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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — final
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a grade
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. game — a match
  13. suit — in cards
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mark — a trace
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rush — hurry

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