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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · calf · ruler · fan · tear · wind · nail · mate

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — a partner
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. tear — from crying

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