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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. tube — the underground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — a country
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. land — to come down
  10. present — a gift
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — ground
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. sharp — clever
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — there
  24. tube — a container

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