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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: nail · object · kick · calf · march · fan · bound · craft

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — the month
  6. object — to protest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. craft — boats
  10. march — the month
  11. object — a thing
  12. bound — certain
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. craft — a skill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — in football

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