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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: straw · bore · nail · mouse · prune · calf · chip · row

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. row — a line
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chip — to eat
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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