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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: stand · calf · safe · nail · clip · rash · net · board

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — in sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rash — hasty
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — to bear
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — a series
  15. clip — a video
  16. net — for catching
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. clip — to cut
  23. board — to get on
  24. safe — out of danger

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