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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 120 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 · key · arm · plane · calf · chest · hide · clip

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. clip — a video
  5. key — in music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. plane — a tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. clip — for paper
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — a box
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chest — of your body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. plane — in geometry

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