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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.

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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: calf · pitcher · band · mate · ruler · nail · fall · wind

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. band — a music group
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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