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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · file · net · scale · wound · hide · calf · nail

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. snap — to click
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. file — a line of people
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a document
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. net — in sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wound — an injury
  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