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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 · pit · nail · stick · swing · bulb · lash · trunk

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — of the leg

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