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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 120 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: track · calf · nail · spell · last · object · game · kick

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spell — magic
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. track — a path
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spell — letters
  8. last — final
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. game — wild animals
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — finally
  15. object — an aim
  16. last — to go on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. object — to protest
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. object — a thing
  24. calf — of the leg

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