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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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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: nail · tear · calf · chip · bowl · sharp · arm · patient

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chip — for betting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — to rip

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