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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pass — a permit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — of a king
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. court — of law
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — for sport

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