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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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468
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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kick — in football
  17. spring — the season
  18. degree — from a university
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. degree — temperature
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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