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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 120 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: saw · kid · key · suit · face · wake · nail · calf

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kid — to tease
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. key — for a lock
  10. kid — child
  11. face — to confront
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. key — in music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. face — part of the head
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to point toward

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