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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: drill · nail · rash · wind · calf · present · lie · pound

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wind — moving air
  4. drill — a practice
  5. present — the time now
  6. rash — a series
  7. drill — army training
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — there
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lie — to recline
  20. present — a gift
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. calf — a young animal

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