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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 116 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: bear · nail · calf · fan · hand · suit · present · prune

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. present — a gift
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. present — the time now
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. present — there
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hand — help

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