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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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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: nail · band · file · pass · court · lie · calf · bound

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — obliged
  3. file — a tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. band — a music group
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lie — to recline
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bound — certain
  14. band — a ring
  15. court — of law
  16. file — a document
  17. pass — a permit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. nail — for a hammer

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