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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: kick · clip · nail · calf · pit · degree · mouse · track

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. track — a song
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. clip — a video
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pit — in a race
  12. kick — in football
  13. track — a path
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. degree — from a university
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. degree — temperature
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mouse — the 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