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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: fan · rule · bore · nail · cell · mark · bear · calf

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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