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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — an amount
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. roll — a cake
  7. spell — a short time
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — letters
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. roll — a list
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. degree — temperature
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. present — the time now
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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