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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — the tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to click
  14. spell — a short time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a trace
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spell — magic
  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