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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: date · nail · hand · lean · calf · stand · rest · roll

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — a break
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — help
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — thin

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