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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 · stock · cue · last · nail · charge · saw · file

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a document
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. last — to go on
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — shares
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. charge — electricity
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. last — final
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — finally

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