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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 116 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: calf · nail · tube · perch · bank · last · board · cell

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. tube — a container
  13. perch — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a committee
  16. bank — of a river
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — for money
  24. last — final

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