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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. sharp — clever
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. firm — a company
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. degree — an amount
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chair — a leader
  23. firm — decided
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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