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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.

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: cap · dip · drill · date · patient · calf · last · trunk

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cap — a lid
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cap — of ice
  8. date — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. last — final
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — to sink
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. last — to go on
  20. cap — a hat
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. last — finally
  23. drill — army training
  24. trunk — of a car

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