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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spell — letters
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — in football
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bore — to drill
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — magic
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. craft — a skill

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