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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bound — obliged
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mug — a face
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mug — to rob

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