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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pop — soda
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — to visit
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — a stone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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