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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. last — to go on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rest — a break
  12. last — finally
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. degree — an amount
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. last — final
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — from a university
  24. calf — a young animal

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