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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fall — the season
  11. pop — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. club — a group
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pop — soda
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — farmland
  24. snap — to click

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