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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: board · spell · snap · calf · saw · nail · row · rule

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. snap — to click
  7. board — a committee
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — magic
  11. rule — a law
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — government
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. row — to paddle
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — to get on
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. row — a line
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — the tool

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