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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — a series
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tear — to rip
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fork — in a road
  16. vault — a safe
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. tear — from crying
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fork — to eat with

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