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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.

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: drill · board · last · nail · pass · calf · tear · branch

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — to get on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tear — from crying
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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