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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cap — a lid
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. date — the fruit
  21. kid — child
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cap — of ice
  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