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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 · bank · dip · tube · nail · row · hand · saw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. row — a line
  12. hand — help
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — in cards
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tube — a container
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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