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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: calf · bound · spell · content · sharp · snap · stand · nail

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spell — a short time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — magic
  8. content — the amount
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spell — letters
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bound — tied together
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bound — obliged
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — certain

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