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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · chair · degree · mug · calf · fall · bat · saw

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mug — a face
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — a cup
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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