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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: fine · last · nail · season · march · calf · content · stick

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — the amount
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. last — to go on
  12. fine — all right
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. content — happy
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. last — final
  21. march — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — the month

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