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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: fork · track · calf · row · nail · lash · stick · sharp

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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 — a young animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — clever
  4. row — a line
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. track — a song
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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