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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — in a road
  21. staff — a stick
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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