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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: staff · nail · game · bore · clip · calf · wax · plane

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. game — a match
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — to drill
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. clip — to cut
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. clip — a video
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wax — for sculpting

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