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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: roll · nail · fan · snap · march · staff · bat · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — the month
  9. roll — a list
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. staff — employees
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. snap — to click
  22. march — the month
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bat — for baseball

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