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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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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: prune · calf · chest · current · toast · fork · nail · cap

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cap — a lid
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chest — of your body
  10. current — electric
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. toast — bread
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chest — a box
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cap — a hat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cap — of ice

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