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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: clip · pit · kick · nail · arm · kid · calf · can

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — for paper
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kid — to tease
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. can — a tin
  10. kid — child
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. clip — a video
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — in football
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. can — to be able to

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