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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chair — a leader
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. club — for dancing
  11. craft — boats
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hand — help
  20. club — for golf
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — a group

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