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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 120 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: plane · drill · calf · nail · stock · firm · wound · cap

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — steady
  13. plane — a tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. firm — a company
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. firm — decided
  20. cap — of ice
  21. drill — a practice
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — the tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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