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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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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: wound · fall · calf · squash · present · mate · nail · kid

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mate — a friend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mate — a partner
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fall — to drop
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. fall — the season
  18. present — a gift
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kid — child
  24. fall — to drop

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