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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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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. root — of a word
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. root — the cause
  15. bark — to shout
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kick — in football
  19. cap — a hat
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lash — an eyelash

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