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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mug — a face
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wind — moving air
  12. row — to paddle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — a line
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — a cup
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — a young animal

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