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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. roll — a list
  4. lean — to bend
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. land — to come down
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wax — to grow
  14. swing — music
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lean — thin
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. roll — a cake

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