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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · game · calf · stick · nail · file · pop · clip

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. file — a document
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pop — to visit
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. game — a match
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — the sport
  15. clip — a video
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pop — soda
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pop — music

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