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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pop — soda
  3. sharp — clever
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pop — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. shower — rain
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ball — a great time

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