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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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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: object · calf · date · snap · clip · mate · stand · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. object — to protest
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. date — the fruit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. object — an aim
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. clip — to cut
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. snap — to click
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mate — a friend
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — a thing
  24. nail — for a hammer

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