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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: snap · deal · march · capital · bore · nail · calf · saw

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to click
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bore — to tire
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. capital — money
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. capital — a city
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. deal — a big deal

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