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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: lie · kick · clip · nail · drill · calf · hide · stand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kick — in football
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — the tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stand — on your feet

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