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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 116 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: pitcher · chair · nail · drill · charge · club · calf · wound

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. club — a group
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chair — a leader
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. club — for golf
  21. charge — in control
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. drill — army training

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