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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 120 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: lash · dip · kid · drill · plane · chip · rest · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. drill — a practice
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chip — for betting
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kid — child
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — army training
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chip — to eat
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chip — in a computer

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