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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.

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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 · saw · charge · jam · season · race · calf · row

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. race — humankind
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. charge — in control
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. season — of the year
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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