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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 116 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
468
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 · racket · bay · drill · nail · calf · game · hand

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. drill — the tool
  19. game — a match
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bay — a horse colour

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