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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: band · calf · hand · march · chip · nail · patient · perch

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hand — in cards
  5. band — a music group
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — help
  14. chip — to eat
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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