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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: calf · cold · bark · hide · nail · dip · can · hand

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cold — not warm
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bark — to shout
  13. hand — help
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bark — of a tree

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