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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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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: rash · drill · tube · lash · kid · stem · bear · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stem — to come from
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. drill — army training
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — child
  12. rash — a series
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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