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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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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: bank · calf · chair · row · nail · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cell — in biology
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — a line
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer

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