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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.

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: nail · cold · track · safe · chip · hand · calf · hide

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. hand — help
  2. cold — an illness
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cold — not warm
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. track — a path
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — in cards
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a song
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  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