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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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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: fork · deal · calf · firm · wake · band · rule · nail

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. band — a music group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wake — a trail
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. firm — steady
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — government
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. band — a ring
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. firm — decided
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fork — in a road

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