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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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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: drill · board · calf · kick · key · cap · face · bark

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. kick — in football
  3. key — for a lock
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — to get on
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. drill — the tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — of ice
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to confront
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. key — in music
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bark — to shout
  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