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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hand — in cards
  4. kick — in football
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. court — of a king
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. hand — help
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kick — a thrill

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