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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tube — the underground
  9. march — music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. safe — out of danger

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