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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: foot · lie · ground · nail · branch · degree · calf · season

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — a position
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ground — the earth
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. degree — from a university
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — to recline

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