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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — a line
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bark — to shout
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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