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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · bore · dip · calf · land · nail · cap · swing

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. land — to come down
  11. swing — music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — a hat
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — a country
  21. cap — of ice
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — ground

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