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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: lash · dip · drill · cap · kid · bore · fan · temple

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. drill — army training
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. drill — a practice
  12. kid — child
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — the tool

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