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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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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: nail · wave · kid · bulb · land · ruler · calf · present

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. present — there
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — a country
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — to come down
  21. present — a gift
  22. land — ground
  23. present — the time now
  24. nail — on a finger

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