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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: roll · squash · charge · craft · saw · nail · calf · field

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. craft — boats
  4. squash — to crush
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. field — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. field — farmland
  16. charge — electricity
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — the sport
  21. roll — a list
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. field — a subject
  24. nail — on a finger

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