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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · drill · wake · calf · nail · straw · cabinet · stem

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a friend
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. drill — army training
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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