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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · bear · calf · arm · clip · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. clip — to cut
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. clip — for paper
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal

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