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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: lie · present · nail · calf · game · file · foot · wind

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — a measure
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. game — wild animals
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. present — there
  10. game — a match
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. present — the time now
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. present — a gift
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. file — a tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. file — a document
  24. calf — of the leg

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