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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · stick · net · calf · hide · stand · mug · chip

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — to eat
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chip — for betting
  18. net — in sport
  19. stand — to bear
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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