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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.

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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: clip · calf · mouse · wind · nail · arm · key · pitch

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. clip — to cut
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — a video
  22. key — in music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. clip — for paper

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