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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hand — help
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. hand — in cards
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — electric
  15. vault — a safe
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. current — happening now
  21. sharp — clever
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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