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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stand — to bear
  6. scale — size or range
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. scale — in music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. row — a line
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — steady
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — to paddle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — a company

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