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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
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: foot · drill · saw · bat · fine · calf · chip · band

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — army training
  10. fine — high quality
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. band — a rubber band

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