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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: saw · hide · nail · calf · patient · squash · fine · mine

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — all right
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hide — animal skin

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