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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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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: march · pound · mine · nail · calf · snap · leaves · club

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. club — a group
  9. snap — to click
  10. club — for golf
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. march — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mine — for digging
  16. club — for dancing
  17. march — the month
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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