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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: deal · march · calf · tube · nail · jam · season · saw

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — of the year
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — in sport
  16. tube — a container
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. march — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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