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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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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: saw · nail · drill · stick · wound · calf · tear · deal

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tear — from crying
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. drill — a practice
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. drill — the tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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