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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rush — hurry
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mug — a face
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. file — a tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. drill — army training
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a document
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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