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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.

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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: clip · club · hand · pass · craft · nail · calf · ruler

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — boats
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pass — a permit
  10. clip — a video
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. hand — help
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hand — part of the body

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