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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: bore · mine · pound · lash · calf · squash · swing · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pound — a weight
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to tire
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mine — for digging
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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