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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. staff — employees
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for golf
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — for dancing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. club — a group
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wound — an injury
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bore — to drill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. nail — on a finger

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