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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
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: nail · calf · board · craft · mate · straw · net · capital

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a committee
  3. capital — a city
  4. mate — a partner
  5. craft — boats
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. net — after costs
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a friend
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — for catching
  22. capital — money
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. net — in sport

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