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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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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: deal · nail · calf · fine · clip · charge

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. clip — for paper
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. charge — a price
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. charge — in control
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fine — all right

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