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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: calf · march · nail · saw · staff · chip · shower · bound

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. march — music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bound — certain

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