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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: nail · drill · cell · sharp · last · calf · kid · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. last — finally
  6. drill — a practice
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kid — to tease
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. drill — army training
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. last — final
  18. kid — child
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cell — in biology

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