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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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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: club · cold · trunk · drill · mouse · lash · calf · safe

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — a group
  5. drill — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. club — for golf
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cold — an illness
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cold — the Cold War

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