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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: nail · calf · current · row · safe · bank · ball · clip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. current — happening now
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bank — of a river
  8. clip — for paper
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a great time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — a young animal

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