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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 · fall · chair · cabinet · content · calf · snap · jam

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. snap — to click
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. content — happy
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — the amount
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fall — the season
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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