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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. content — the amount
  5. race — humankind
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pass — a permit
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. race — a contest
  22. shower — to wash
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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