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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.

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: hand · nail · saw · bank · march · calf · wave · straw

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — of a river
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hand — help
  21. march — music
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — of the sea

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