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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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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: lean · bowl · nail · safe · degree · pitcher · calf · tear

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. degree — an amount
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lean — to bend
  23. safe — out of danger
  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