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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: trunk · tube · calf · nail · board · clip · wave · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. clip — to cut
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tube — the underground
  11. clip — a video
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. clip — for paper
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. tube — a container
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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