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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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468
Word bank
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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: nail · rest · pitcher · calf · last · racket · dip · fall

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — to go on
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. last — final
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fall — the season
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — finally

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