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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: bore · pitcher · club · file · lash · kick · stem · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. file — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. kick — in football
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a document

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