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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: clip · tear · safe · fan · calf · cabinet · nail · band

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. clip — a video
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. clip — to cut
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. clip — for paper
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a ring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tear — from crying

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