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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: calf · lash · kid · safe · pitch · file · pop · drill

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. drill — army training
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. file — a line of people
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pop — music
  17. kid — child
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. safe — out of danger
  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