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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. firm — a company
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — steady
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hand — in cards
  13. roll — a cake
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. roll — a list
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. foot — a measure

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