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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — music
  8. deal — to handle
  9. file — a line of people
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. toast — bread
  22. file — a document
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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