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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: stand · calf · perch · mine · nail · prune · march · saw

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mine — an explosive

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