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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.

Make a worksheet

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: nail · calf · pit · bark · band · mug · lash · pitcher

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. band — a music group
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a ring
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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