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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lie — to recline
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. spring — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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