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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: coach · game · craft · kid · fine · clip · nail · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kid — child
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. clip — a video
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fine — all right
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — a match
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. craft — a skill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fine — high quality

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