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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — government
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rule — a law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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