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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. current — happening now
  12. bass — low music
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. current — electric
  18. land — a country
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bass — the fish
  23. current — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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